


Frozen Heart

by bloodrosered



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friendship/Love, Military Background, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Women in the Military
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 09:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2543000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodrosered/pseuds/bloodrosered
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Army brat Colleen O'Shea was best friends with Jack Frost as a child; once a believer in the Guardians. Now she's a hardened sergeant in the Army. Jack Frost decides to pay a visit to his former playmate and let the fun back in her. Pitch returns to threaten the world again. T for now</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_BURGESS, PA-1990s_

_It happened again. The dream. It had always been the same one every night since she was small. Often she wondered if it was real. In her dream, there was a white-haired boy. Tall and thin as a sapling tree. His clothes tattered. And he was barefoot._

_What she couldn't forget was his eyes. So blue. Bluer than anyone could imagine. They stayed in her mind. Their eyes met, silent and not speaking. He was holding a dark blue sweater...then he ran away. She watched him in silence, watching him disappear._

_The girl often wondered if it was real._

_Upon waking up, she looked out the window and saw a thick blanket of white snow had fallen overnight. She smiled and got out of bed, ready to play out in the snow. She was happy to hear that school closed._

_Jack Frost walked on a picket fence, pleased with his wintery work he had done to the place and snow still continued to fall from the cloud covered sky. The white, cold particles touched the ground, creating a thick blanket as they layered up._

_He heard a door open to the house to which the fence belonged and watched an eight-year-old girl walk off the porch. She had blonde hair plaited into pigtails, wearing a winter coat, knitted green mittens and a matching scarf, and navy blue boots. An elderly, yet spritely woman emerged from the house soon after the girl._

_Just as the girl was about to skip to the playground down the street, her grandmother stopped her. Neither of them noticed Jack Frost striding gracefully on the picket fence, his staff over his shoulders. He watched the girl and her grandmother talking._

_"Y'don't want Jack Frost t' be nippin' at yer nose, do ye?" she said in a heavy Irish brogue, pulling the Irish knit hat on her granddaughter's blonde head._

_"He doesn't nip it, Gramma," the girl said, moving a loose strand of hair away from her face. "He kisses it."_

_"O'course he does," laughed her grandmother. "Especially pretty girls like ye. Now go and have fun. Be safe out there. Don't talk to strangers."_

_The little girl nodded and went down the street to the playground._

_"Kiss the nose?" Jack laughed lightly. "Haven't heard that one yet."_

He decided to follow the young girl as she went to the street. He floated with the wind, a trail of snowflakes fluttered down in his wake.

_The girl sighed in a bit of boredom and disappointment as she kicked the fresh snow on the ground. She was happy it was a snow day, yet she felt out of place and lonely. It was another day in a new town, knowing well enough that nobody was going to play with her. It seemed every time she settled down, it was time to move again. Leaving friends. Leaving home. Starting over. It wasn't fair._

_Well, that was the life of an Army brat._

_Plus her Daddy was away again overseas. The only good thing about moving was her grandmother came with her; she took care of her while her Daddy was away. Though she was old, she still played with the girl, telling her stories and encouraged her active imagination._

_Still it wasn't fair that they had to move all the time, often in short periods of time, staying put for three to four years tops. She felt it wasn't good enough that her Daddy wasn't home. Though he called when he could, telling that he missed her and loved her._

_As she walked down the street towards the playground, she passed some shops and paused for a moment to look at the toys for Christmas in the windows. She sighed, knowing it was going to be a lonely holiday this year. There was nothing in the whole toy store she wanted. There was only one thing she wanted and she asked for it every year. Just for Daddy to come home._

_Of course, if there was that miracle that he did come home, she would be overwhelmed with joy. Most of the time, it was disappointing. The Army chaplain and the Family Readiness Group counselor told her the same thing: it was the duty for soldiers to put their country first before family. But that didn't mean her Daddy didn't love her. Yes, her Daddy did love her. Though she wondered if it was true or not since he wasn't the same since Mom died. He was so distant and buried himself in work._

_Jack Frost watched the girl and decided to have his own type of fun. With a wave of his staff, he used the wind to blow snow at her from behind. She shivered as the cold wind and snow blew up from behind her, making her pigtails flutter._

_"Stupid wind!" she grumbled. "Wish you would behave yourself!"_

Jack chuckled, enjoying the reaction of the girl to his pranks. He decided to have the wind stop, as if it was listening to her. There was a gentle breeze every so often, but it wasn't too bad. 

_She began singing Christmas songs until she heard 'The Christmas Song' being played in one of the stores. It was her favorite song of all. She sang a sort-of made rendition of it..._

_Chestnuts roasting on an open fire_

_Jack Frost kissing your nose..._

_"She sounds nice when she sings," Jack said, noticing as he continued to follow the girl._

_He was interested in her for some reason. Perhaps it was her imagination, maybe her spirit. Yet, there was a touch of loneliness in her. He decided to have some more fun with her, sailing on the wind to the tree at the playground. He landed light-footed on the lowest branch, creating ice in his wake and watched the girl._

_Upon arriving at the playground, the girl kept singing 'The Christmas Song', walking past the tree. She almost bumped into something that was hanging from a branch. All she saw was a pair of ice-chip blue eyes..._

_"Whoa! Hey!" said an impish voice that belonged to the eyes; cold breath tickled the flesh of her nose._

_The girl let out a startled scream, tripping over her own two feet and fell backwards in the snow._

_"What the FUDRUCKERS?!" she yelled, her Irish knit hat fell over her eyes._

_She heard light laughter. She sat up and fixed her hat, looking where she had seen those eyes._

_Instead of eyes, there was a boy hanging upside-down from the tree branch by his knees. She had never seen a boy like this before! He reminded the girl of a sprite or a fairy that her grandmother had told her in many of her Irish stories. He looked like a teenager, maybe. He was so pale and lithe. His tousled hair was the color of freshly fallen snow and his face was filled with impish playfulness. He wore a blue hoodie sweatshirt that appeared to be frosted in some places. His faded brown trousers looked tattered and he was barefoot! She wondered if he was cold, especially on a day like this._

_Jack Frost was surprised by the girl's reaction. And it was funny too, watching her take a spill like that. He wondered if she could see him. He figured he'd talk to the girl anyway as if she could. He didn't expect a response. He never thought anyone would reply to him whenever he spoke to them._

_The girl watched as the strange boy did an acrobatic flip off the tree branch, landing gracefully in the snow on his feet. He grabbed up a wooden shepherd's crook staff that was leaning against the tree. It turned a frosted blue when he touched it._

_"Are you OK? You gotta be more careful out there," Jack said. "Don't want to see you buried in all this snow."_

_He held out a hand towards her as an offer to help her up out of the snow. The girl just sat there, frozen, staring dumbfounded at the boy with wide evergreen eyes. She moved aside strands of loose blonde hair that had escaped from her plaited braids. She blinked her eyes a few more times, rubbed them to be sure what she was seeing...just a minute ago, that branch was empty._

_After hearing no response from the girl, Jack Frost sighed in disappointment. He pulled his hand away and tucked in his sweater pocket. She probably didn't need his help. Though he was used to not getting an answer, it still seemed to upset him. He just wished someone would notice him. A friend. He turned to leave with the wind when... "Wait! Don't go!" the girl cried. Jack stopped in his tracks and perked up in surprise when he heard the reply. His eyes widened, his heart was soaring with excitement. "Wait," he said, his voice becoming excited. "You can see me?!"_

_The girl raised her brow when he asked such a question. He was standing right there, clear as daylight._

_"Yes," said the girl._

He walked towards the girl, squatting at her level, gripping his staff. He had pure excitement all across his face.

_"So wait...you believe in me?" he said, his blue eyes shining with joy._

_She raised an eyebrow. What did the boy mean by believe in him? She guessed he was like the Easter Bunny, Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman: one had to believe in them in order to see them. Yet, she never saw any of them. The boy was right here like a normal person would be._

_"Well, if I can see it or touch it, then yes. I believe it's real," the girl answered._

_The feeling Jack felt was hard to explain, but it was bursting throughout his body of everlasting happiness and exhilaration._

_"You believe in Jack Frost then?" he asked._

_She recalled 'The Christmas Song' she was singing earlier and the stories about him that her grandmother told her. Oh! So this had to be..._

_"Jack Frost?" she said. "You're real?"_

_He nodded excitedly, his blue eyes were near tears and his face had the widest smile filled with joy._

_"That's me!" he said._

_"Funny, I expected you to be an old man...that's what Gramma said at least," the girl said. "She referred to you as 'Old Man Winter' who would frost the green fields of her homeland."_

_He shook his head in amusement at the girl's statement, the very idea of being an old man!_

_"No way. I'm all about having fun," he said. "Snowballs and all. Messing up the Easter Kangaroo's plans for Easter by covering up the place with snow. All that kind of stuff. I think it would be hard to have some type of fun as an old man."_

_Easter Kangaroo? the girl thought. She guessed he meant the Easter Bunny._

>"Oh!" she said. "Guess I'll have to tell her that you're as young as, um, freshly fallen snow then."

_"Freshly fallen snow? That works. Better than being considered old." He nodded with agreement._

_"And you know the Easter Bunny?" the girl said. "If you see him, tell him I want no eggs or gifts this year. Just to bring my Daddy home."_

_"Alright. If I see him, I'll let him now," Jack Frost promised her. He would keep that promise too. After pausing a moment as he heard this unusual request. "Hey, where is your daddy anyways if he's not home?"_

_He listened as the girl told him about her Daddy: he was a lieutenant in the Army and always away or they had to move all the time. She had no friends from all the moving. And that it wasn't fair, but she had to be understanding because his duty to his country came first._

_"That sounds upsetting," he said with a slight frown._

_"It is," she said sulkily. "And I know the chaplain tells me that Daddy loves me, but I wish that were true though. He hasn't been the same since Mom died. And he hates winter." She brightened a bit. "I like it though. That means no school and snow fun and Christmas."_

_He understood how she felt. After a beat, he came up with an idea._

_"Hey, we could be friends," he said. "I mean, I've never had friends, so it would be nice. Even if you move, I could go with you...and bring the winter with me. Would you like that?"_

_"Really?" the girl said, lighting up with excitement._

_"Yea. We could have fun together in the snow if you like winter that much," he said, smiling at her. "And you can thank me for the no school."_

_The girl was absolutely delighted! Eyes widened and a smile spread across her face as soon as he mentioned fun and friends. It was something she had wanted for the longest time! She finally could have a friend that she didn't have to leave and he could bring snow!_

_"That's great!" she said happy. "I can't wait for more snow days! You're the best, Jack! Let's go play!"_

_"Sounds like a plan! I'm sure you and I will have plenty of fun together as friends!" Jack Frost promised her with a smile. "Oh. Before I forget, what is your name, Snow Angel?"_

_The girl giggled and blushed, flattered to be called a 'snow angel'. She told him her name. "You can call me Snow Angel if you want."_

_He smiled at her. "I figured I'd call you Snow Angel since you like the snow. And...you're like an angel, to me anyways. For being able to see me. I've never had anyone see me before."_

_More blushing came from the girl. "I'm glad you're my friend, Jack. I promise to be your friend forever."_

_The snow spirit smiled. "I hope you will be." Jack Frost said. "I'm glad you're my friend too."_

***

_Fifteen Years Later-US Army Base_

Specialist Colleen O'Shea was twenty-three years old. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight military bun without a hair out of place. She wore her Army uniform, anxiously awaiting to receive her promotion for sergeant. That meant she could become a drill sergeant, motivating young recruits, turning them into soldiers. She had waited for this moment her whole life.

Colleen was well known around the base as the Ice Queen. Though she was quite beautiful with her hair and green eyes, it was her demeanor that was uncomfortable. Even the young cadets stepped out of her way when she was walking by. When she spoke, it was harsh as an icy wind. A frostiness gleamed in her eyes.

"Specialist O'Shea," called the Master Sergeant. "Step forward."

Colleen strode up to the front, stiff as a board, keeping her back straight. She wanted to look her best for this moment. Her combat boots were the only sound heard in the vast silence of the room.

"This promotion goes to you," says the Master Sergeant, holding the patch that contained her new rank, placing it on the Velcro space of her Army jacket where her old rank used to be. "You are now a sergeant. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Master Sergeant," says Colleen.

Colleen was so proud with her achievement. She was chosen as a leader of her squad at basic training. She was a born leader. Of course she was. Her Dad, the Lieutenant, was a leader.

She was ready to do her SERE (survival, evasion, resistance and escape) training. Twenty-one days of this brutal exercise, leading her platoon through a forest, surviving all kinds of weather and teaching the cadets how to survive out in the wilderness, how to avoid detection from enemies, how to resist and escape when captured as a prisoner of war.

Yes. She was ready. Ready for anything to come her way.

***

Once drill was over, she went to the gym to work out, then went home to her condo on the base. She had dinner and watched the news. Upon seeing the time, she went to her bedroom, folding up her uniform neatly, making sure not a single wrinkle existed. She wanted to get to SERE training on time.

Colleen climbed into bed, sighing. She couldn't sleep since she was excited about SERE training. She sang softly, thinking of that song her grandmother would sing to her on sleepless nights...

**Mister Sandman, bring me a dream...**

She hummed most of the lyrics lazily since it was a love song. She didn't see the golden ribbon of dreamsand dance outside the window. Sandy was floating on a cloud of sand miles above, sending dreamsand to all the children of the world. Upon hearing the magic song from long ago, his chubby face broke out into a smile as he looked down with golden eyes. He liked it when Colleen sang that song. He blew a stream of golden dreamsand towards her house, sensing her sleepiness. Yawning, Colleen laid down and her eyes fluttered as she drifted off to sleep. Sandy observed to see what dreams she would have...sadly, there was nothing. Sandy frowned, disappointed.

What happened to that little girl who used to believe? It saddened all the Guardians when a child stopped believing. No hopes, dreams, wonder...nothing. When one did stop believing, that little light on the globe in North's shop went out completely. They no longer saw them. It was even worse when the child's parents told them that they didn't exist. Most of the time, the child didn't believe what their parents said and held on to their belief...and there were times they accepted the harsh words of their parents, then their light went out completely.

Yet, with Colleen, there was something special about her. She may have grown up and didn't see them anymore, but the last time the Guardians looked, her light flickered on the globe like a candle about to burn out. Could it be there was a tiny part of her in that cold, hard exterior somewhere that probably still believed?

Sandy resumed his work, weaving beautiful dreams to the children. Soon, there was a sinister chuckling coming from the darkness from beneath her bed. The room seemed to develop a dark ambiance that it made the female soldier uncomfortable. 

"Oh, Colleen..." A sing-song tone drifted somewhere in her right ear.

She heard her name over and over all around her; gentle whispers and murmurs that drove her to annoyance and utter confusion. She felt like she was in a fun house. She turned over onto her back, shuddering.

A dark, tall figure of a man cast a shadow over her, implying that there is no chance of escape. The man grinned as he watched the girl wince in her slumber, knowing that his presence is the cause of the troubles in her supposedly beautiful dreams. Not that she had any.

"Had a wonderful day at training, my dear?" The question was whispered so softly that it was almost inaudible. "Were you able to satisfy your interest for war? Bonded with comrades? Hm?"

Pitch Black smirked at the sleeping Colleen, watching the swirling dreamsand. He was pleased. This made it easier to create nightmares since she had no dreams.

Lately, tormenting children was no longer working for him since they didn't believe in him anymore. He decided to find a new way to spread fear: adults who had experienced traumatic events in their lives. Though they didn't believe in him either, but why not have fun with them? Adults lived in fear almost every day. The worse their fear, the more Pitch relished it.

In the aftermath of their trauma, nightmares often happened and it took years to overcome their fears. Sometimes they would let go, yet there always seemed to be a trigger: a smell, a sight, a touch, a sound...and the nightmares would start again. Flashbacks. 

Colleen was one who experienced a very traumatic event.

"No dreams?" he laughed softly with a small grin. "What a shame. How about I help you find one?"

With two bony pale grey fingers, he tiptoed towards the swirling gold sand and touched it. The sand turned black, forming the ugly shapes of Colleen's nightmare. She stirred uncomfortably, whimpering in her sleep. Pitch smiled, pleased to see the girl was giving in to her fears. 

"What a lovely nightmare," he simpered, watching in delight.

To make her nightmare more realistic, Pitch touched her bare arms; smooth flesh right under his fingertips, so soft and delicate. The man grinned as he watched the young woman wince in her sleep, whimpering like a small child. 

"You were always one of my favorites, Colleen," Pitch whispered. 

_Shadows with golden eyes ho her down, whispering. They grabbed, ripped off her clothes, touched...the cold sharp tip of a knife pressed into her throat. She screamed, only to find them lost in the dark, falling on deaf ears. She had to get away..._

Colleen jolted awake, sitting upright, drenched in a cold sweat and panted. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She looked around, so certain she heard someone. Someone had touched her. The dream felt so real. Too real. Colleen shook her head to rid her head of the horrid nightmare. It was ridiculous. She looked around and sighed in relief that she was alone in her room. She got out of bed to go to the bathroom.

"It was just a stupid dream," she said. "It doesn't mean anything."  
She kept telling herself this in a chant, leaning against the sink. 

She pulled out the orange bottle of Prozac, looking at it for a moment before popping it in her mouth along with a quick swig of water. She swallowed it down with a bitter after taste, knowing it helped her forget. Blocked the nightmares.

After splashing cold water on her face, in her peripheral vision she caught the sight of the three inch scar on her right breast. She tucked it away, out of sight. She preferred to forget that ever happened. The past was in the past, buried long ago. It was an experience that changed her life, but vowed to never let it happen again.

After shutting the light off in the bathroom, she went back to her bedroom. A faint whisper drifted past her ear.

"You really think you can escape me?"

A dark chuckle came next, sending chills down her spine. The hairs on her neck stood up. She whipped her head around, looking around where the voice came from. Memories flashed as she remembered a familiar voice and sinister laughter while she slept: one she remembered as a child, one that tormented her. Then the nightmares that followed, they were the worst. She recalled a nightmare that made her scream. Upon waking up, she saw a pair of golden eyes that reminded her of a solar eclipse staring down at her and those jagged grey teeth grinning wickedly in the dark.

Could it be? she thought to herself. Was it really...?

"It was just a stupid dream," she said, shaking her head.

***


	2. Trickster

_The girl loved her best friend. He always brought fun wherever he went. It didn't matter if people thought she was strange talking to the thin air. Even the kids thought she was weird...but with Jack Frost at her side, he always brought fun...and they forgot about teasing her._

_What the girl remembered was his magic. The magic that made fun happen. He'd throw a blue snowball or blow sparkling blue snowflakes in her face. Then it would sort of tickle...then she would burst into peals of laughter, quelling her anger or sadness. Then they would play...having lots of snow fun. Winter was her favorite season of all. She liked the snow days. That meant no school...and that meant she could play with her best friend. ___

__

__***  
The morning reveille played on her cell phone at 4:00 AM. Colleen blinked out of her sleep and got up with a spring in her step. She could imagine the other cadets would be sluggish, getting out of their bunks._ _

__Today's the day! she cheered silently._ _

__Colleen did her ritual of what she did when she woke up: folding her night clothes neatly, placing them in the dresser, made her bed in the hospital corner folds as neatly as possible. Then she pulled on her uniform and grabbed her gear that she had packed up the night before. She left her house to the building where she and her platoon were to meet, always on time (which meant being fifteen minutes early; if one was ACTUALLY on time, that meant one was late)._ _

__She arrived at the building where she was supposed to meet with the Master Sargeant along with her platoon with all her gear she needed for SERE training. She made sure everyone was there, making sure the cadets stood at attention. She would glare at any fidgeting cadets; one icy glance from the Ice Queen's green eyes and they would immediately stop. When the commander gave the at-ease, everyone obeyed._ _

__After the morning meeting with the Master Sergeant, Colleen and her platoon were to begin SERE training. When her commander asked if everyone was present and accounted for, she confirmed with a clear response. When dismissed, she and her platoon went to grab their required gear, heading to a classroom._ _

__First, they had to sit through a lecture about the training; how to survive in different environments in all extreme temperatures, what to use, what plants or wildlife one can or cannot consume, etc. Though the lecture part was boring, she willed herself to listen and learn everything she needed to know. Colleen took notes since it was important to know everything being the platoon sergeant so she could teach the cadets on the SERE exercise._ _

__After the lecture part, she and her platoon got into a helicopter and were dropped in the middle of the forest. The commander gave Colleen instructions of their mission in the woods: survive. Evade enemies. Resist and escape if captured. This would be their test._ _

__Jack Frost was perched on a tree branch in the forest, his toes curled around it as he squatted to observed the group: they consisted mostly young men and a few women, all dressed in the same uniform. They looked like clones. His blue eyes darted amongst them until he recognized a name. Jack got closer to get a better look...yes! It was her: his former playmate, all grown up. His Snow Angel._ _

__Hanging upside-down with his feet pressed against the bough like he did so long ago, he looked at his former playmate. He watched as she was ordering the young soldiers around...like Toothiana, except harshly. He frowned a bit when he saw the girl he once knew. He hated seeing her so strict. No one should be that strict. Not even North was this uptight. Still, he could see that lonely little Army brat who desired fun. Still, he could see that lonely little Army brat who desired fun._ _

__Jack was surprised, yet proud she had chosen to become a soldier. He recalled the little Army brat telling him this since her Daddy was a soldier and she wanted to be one._ _

__It was early springtime and some of the snow was starting to melt, but it was still cold and it was raining. Everyone in Colleen's platoon was wet, cold, muddy and miserable in the survival part of the training. Colleen was hardly bothered by the cold. She recalled her first three months at Basic Training: how miserable and uncomfortable she was. How the drill sergeants yelled, spraying her face with spit and saying degrading things just to get her to do more calisthenics or to run faster in a long-mile run...in every weather and temperature as possible. Yet she didn't give up._ _

__She was an American soldier...a guardian of freedom. And a soldier NEVER accepted defeat. NEVER quit._ _

__Colleen instructed her platoon to look for food and clean water, set up a shelter. They had to survive. The cadets struggled to get a tent up as quickly as possible, slipping and sliding in the mud._ _

__With a smirk, Jack decided to have a little fun with his former playmate. She was standing near the tree where he was as if she were looking right at him. In childish impudence, Jack stuck his tongue out at her, mocking her serious expression. She didn't react. She couldn't see him. Jack blew the freezing wind towards Colleen's face to see how she would react._ _

__Colleen felt a freezing breeze, shutting her eyes and shook her head. Eventually, the breeze stopped. With a furrowed brow, she looked towards where the breeze came from. She heard a faint impish giggle from somewhere that sounded like a fairy. She remembered hearing that same laugh a few times in her life._ _

__"Weird!" she muttered, shaking her head._ _

__Jack tried something new. He leaped up to one of the higher branches of the tree above her and tipped it, letting all the snow on the pine needles fall right on top of her head. Jack laughed, floating down to stand next to her against a tree. He wished she could see him._ _

__He watched a rather annoyed Colleen look up and shiver as she felt snow run down her back. Squinting, she looked around. She swore she heard the familiar laugh again...a few childhood memories flashed. She shrugged it off and shook off the snow._ _

__"Fucking snow!" she cursed quietly. Then she resumed ordering the cadets around, moving away from the tree._ _

__Jack saw two cadets a few feet away, whispering amonst themselves. He listened in on their conversation._ _

__"Can you believe Frostine the Ice Bitch?" one cadet whispered. "I wish someone would pelt her with a snowball. That would make my day."_ _

__"I dunno," said another cadet. "Wouldn't that piss her off even more? She'll think it was us. Besides, I don't want to be on KP duty."_ _

__"Man, I would gladly shake hands with the one who has guts to throw one at the Ice Queen. She's so cold that I bet she wouldn't even feel it."_ _

__Upon hearing the cadets complaining, the frost spirit grinned from ear to ear at the ideas. He scooped up a handful of melting snow with his cold, skinny fingers before gently blowing on it. Content it was perfect, he waited for the right opportunity and then threw it at Colleen, managing to hit her right on the forehead. He laughed and fell back a bit, simply watching to see if she would give the cadets a hard time for it._ _

__Colleen felt the sting of something cold and hard smack her in the face. Now she was really pissed off. Blinking her eyes, her face flushed with rage. She was really pissed off. Someone in her platoon decided to be funny and pull a prank._ _

__The two complaining cadets saw what had happened...their mouths dropped open in shock. One covered his mouth with a hand to suppress a laugh. Jack laughed, seeing how mortified the cadets looked._ _

__She shouted harshly for her platoon to fall in. Jack watched as the cadets got into line, standing stiffly at attention. The Ice Queen glared at her platoon with burning green eyes._ _

__"Who the FUCK threw this?!" she yelled at them, showing them the remains of a snowball._ _

__"Dude, was that...?" whispered the cadet wide-eyed._ _

__The other shook his head, also surprised. "No, Evans. Wasn't me."_ _

__Her platoon stared in complete silence; although it was amusing to see the hardened sergeant get pelted by a snowball, they knew it was best to stay quiet. They willed themselves to not laugh at the Ice Queen._ _

__"Let's have a little fun," said Jack Frost. "Shall we?"_ _

__He blew some snowflakes along with his magic of fun towards the soldiers' faces. The cadets felt something tickle...they tried to resist, but they couldn't help it. Suppressed smiles appeared and then stifled giggles spilled out. Colleen glared at the idiots who dared to laugh._ _

__"You think this is funny?" she hissed. "You think being here in the middle of enemy territory is funny?!"_ _

__The cadets tried to suppress their laughter and smiles, but they just couldn't help it. Colleen was pissed off that these idiots were treating this like a big joke. Dumb young recruits!_ _

__"This is the GODDAMN Army!" she shouted. The cadets stopped laughing immediately, flinching at the angry tone of their leader. "Nothing about being a soldier is funny! There are papas out there, waiting to ambush us...and you think this shit is funny?"_ _

__"Wow, Snow Angel!" Jack Frost laughed, amused by Colleen's anger. "You turned into a real hard-ass."_ _

__"Now I'm gonna ask you all again," she said, calming herself down. "And if any of you don't have the balls to be honest, I will make sure you all are on KP duty for a month, scrubbing garbage cans. Is that clear?!"_ _

__"Yes, Sarge," the platoon answered._ _

__"Now, who threw the snowball?" she said, eyeing each young face of her group._ _

__Though nobody in her squad wanted to be stuck doing Kitchen Patrol, they honestly didn't know who did it. The soldiers who were shaking a bit and looked at each other in confusion._ _

__"Well?!" she demanded sharply, her evergreen eyes narrowed._ _

__"Seriously, Sarge," said one named Evans bravely. "It wasn't any of us. We were all doing what you told us to do."_ _

__She stared at Evans who apparently had the balls to speak up._ _

__"Can you confirm that?" she hissed at him, making him shake in his boots._ _

__Everyone confirmed their orders from her. Colleen was a little convinced, yet there was always a smart-ass among them that thought it would be funny to provoke her wrath. After all, nobody really liked her. Not that she cared if they did or not. In the Army, it didn't matter who liked you or not. Duty for country and its citizens came first._ _

__"Alright then," she said. "As for your childish laughing, we're going on a five mile run."_ _

__The cadets groaned and frowned._ _

__"You shouldn't be so harsh on them," Jack murmured to her, even though he knew she couldn't hear._ _

__He then leaned back against a tree and sighed, staring at the woman before him. He missed talking to her. He wished she could see him again. Deciding he had done enough to the poor cadets, he began to float off, having business else where anyways._ _

__"Now, let's finish up and..." Colleen continued, ignoring their whines._ _

__Before she could finish her sentence, her platoon was captured by soldiers playing enemy troops. They bound them, placed burlap sacks on their heads and dragged them through the woods._ _

__In midair, Jack had heard the commotion and whipped his head around, quickly moving in to see what was going on. That's when he saw Colleen and her team being transported. Were they prisoners? By their own people? Was Colleen in danger? Jack floated above, watching with wide eyes. He followed, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought to himself how cruel they were for something so simple. He was horrified when he saw they were locked inside what looked like a makeshift cage with barbed wire, shoved together like cattle._ _

__He didn't understand what was going on. Everything seemed scary where Colleen was. Serious. They held weapons that exploded loudly; they killed or hurt people. There was no fun where Colleen supposedly was. Nor was it allowed. He wondered why this so called Army didn't allow fun. He didn't understand this whole military thing._ _

__"Whatever happens," Colleen said to the cadets. "Say NOTHING! Don't tell them anything!"_ _

__Colleen was dragged out first by three men: one was holding a rifle, pressing it into the small of her back while the other two frog-marched her towards a small tent with her hands tied behind her back with some kind of plastic restraint. Jack floated towards the window and watched as they shoved her roughly in a chair, watching the scene with terrified eyes._ _

__Colleen listened as the instructors asked her questions. She knew this was part of the exercise. The cable tie bit into her wrists harshly. She evaded her 'captors' interrogation with some smart remarks or evasive answers. Sometimes, she just sat there silently, stubbornly refusing to answer. Nope. She knew that if this should ever happen in real life, it was a betrayal to her country. Only answer with name, rank and serial number. Nothing else._ _

__They laid a piece of paper in front of her, which she refused to sign. Then, she was backhanded in the face hard, making the chair and herself fall to the ground. Her cheek throbbed with pain and she tasted blood in her mouth, spitting a little...tears sprang from her eyes, but she blinked them back._ _

__Have to be strong. I'm Army strong, she told herself._ _

__She just kept telling herself that this was all part of the training. The enemy would not restrain themselves just because she was a woman. She knew what to expect: rape, torture, beatings...anything to drive fear into her to get her to talk. She knew she had to protect her platoon and herself, her country...she would rather die than give the enemy what they wanted. No matter what the enemy offered, always refuse and resist. Even if it meant by pain of death. That was what soldiers did._ _

__Jack was horrified when he witnessed this brutal scene. The men were hurting Colleen. Why were they doing that? It didn't make sense. Colleen just seemed to shake it off, unaffected and unafraid._ _

__He watched as the men dragged her outside towards a huge tub of water, which they proceeded to duck her head under. It was frigid. She blew air out of her nose in hopes of surviving._ _

__Don't struggle. It only makes it worse. Colleen told herself._ _

__She was pulled up from the freezing water, spluttering, her clothes were soaking wet and shivering. The instructors demanded her to talk, but she continued to resist. They shoved her head under the water a few more times...the frigid water began to numb her face and body. Jack and the rest of the platoon watched as Colleen was tortured. He saw how scared they were...they looked like children. Some were on the verge of crying._ _

__"Why don't any one of you help her?!" Jack shouted angrily, yet knowing none of them could hear him. "She'll freeze to death, you fools!"_ _

__He quickly made a move, tossing snowballs at all the men holding her back and knocking them over with ice under their feet. The instructors stopped, looking around, confused. The one who was ducking Colleen slipped...her head hit something hard. She stopped moving...the instructor who was ducking her pulled her out of the tub._ _

__"Uh...Sarge?" said one of the instructors, shaking her. "You alright?"_ _

__When she didn't respond, they were shocked with realization..._ _

__"Oh shit!" exclaimed another instructor."Get the AED, call MEDEVAC."_ _

__Soldiers scattered, using the radio to call for help. They cut her restraints, ripped open her jacket and shirt, hurriedly drying her off, compressing her chest...Jack watched in pure horror,_ _

__"What kind of place is this!? You kill your own men and women for training?!" he shouted, wanting to whack the people with his staff, but it only sent a chill through them._ _

__Jack watched as she lay there, unresponsive. He knelt down to Colleen, looking worried as frozen tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. Her face was deathly pale and her lips were grey blue. Her hair was soaking wet, sticking to her face._ _

__"Cmon, come back to me...I can't lose you. Please," he murmured, wanting to touch her, but he knew what good that would do._ _

__"Snow angel," he whispered; tears formed and froze..._ _


	3. Cold Darkness

_The girl was going ice-skating at the lake. Grandma told her to be careful, which she promised. The girl said she was going to meet friends As soon as she left the house, her grandmother smiled and shook her head as she watched her granddaughter talking to thin air. Of course, she had an imaginary friend. Ever since her mother died, she formed one at eight-years-old._

_The girl's father didn't think it was appropriate that someone her age should have an imaginary friend. It was embarrassing. But the chaplain said it was normal for a child to do so when a loss had occurred. Her mother...a beauty, the love of his life had died on Christmas Eve he lost on Christmas Eve. His daughter was only seven when it happened._

_After her mother's death, her Daddy didn't bother to put up decorations for Christmas anymore. Still, her grandmother persuaded him to at least let her celebrate the wonders of Christmas while she still had her childhood. She would grow up eventually sooner or later._

_The girl lied to her grandmother about meeting friends at the lake...sort of. She had her best friend with her. The boy who always brought fun. He called her 'Snow Angel' and she called him 'Frostbite'._

_She always had to move. She didn't bother to make friends since she would never see them again. Plus they teased her sometimes. She didn't care since her best friend always brought fun. Her best friend was Jack Frost. He only went away when the warm weather came. At least he came back when winter was near...and he knew where to find her whenever she moved._

_The girl and Jack went towards the frozen lake; she laced up her ice skates. Jack sniggered while he watched as the clumsy girl slipped on the ice, falling down. She would yell at him angrily that he was not being fair, throwing a snowball at him. He teased her for being a lousy shot._

_"Are you gonna help me or not, Frostbite?" the girl said with a pout._

_He laughed lightly and held her hand and guided her, gracefully...taking it slow with her. Just like he did with his sister so long ago. She slowly got the hang of it. She took off to try it on her own..._

_...until there was a loud crack and the ice gave way. Jack quickly turned his head, dropping his wooden staff against the icy lake when he heard the dreadful sound followed by the splash of water. Oh no! The girl had disappeared into the black void of the frigid water._

_He called out to the girl, racing to the hole she fell in. He had to save her. If anything happened to her, he would be it was his fault. Quickly diving into the water, he searched for her. Being in the water brought a feeling of something similar: a situation he was once in, but he couldn't tell what it was._

_That didn't matter right now, he had to save his best friend. Once his hands grabbed her arms, he began to drag her back up to the surface, saving her from a frozen watery grave. The girl coughed up water, shivering so violently, her teeth chattered, her hair and clothes were frozen. She looked at her best friend who had saved her, tears in her eyes as the cold bit her body harshly. She was ice cold and near blue._

_"J-J-Jack...get me home. P-please," she said in a quivering voice._

_Jack Frost nodded at her request. He kept her close against his blue sweater, hoping it would keep her warm just a little bit. Though he was sure he was making it worse for her. He had carried her off as quick as he possibly could back to her house. He held her bridal style and floated with the wind. All that mattered was that he got her home safely._

_The girl huddled against his sweater, feeling the softness. She felt his lithe chest; it was cold, but she didn't care. She was safe with her best friend, even if he was cold as winter. Her eyes were half-lidded when he got her home. Jack rang the doorbell with his staff, placing the girl on her feet. Her grandmother appeared, seeing in horror, her wet, freezing granddaughter._

_"Jaysus, Mary and Joseph!" she exclaimed. "What happened?! Did ye fall in the ice?"_

_"It was an accident," the girl answered,_

_"Let's get inside and get ye warm," she said._

_Off came her soaked winter clothes, then into the bathroom for a hot bath. Then the girl was dressed in clean clothes and wrapped in blankets with a mug of hot chocolate. She was still shivering as she held the mug, feeling the warmth spreading throughout her frozen body._

_"Ye must have a guardian angel lookin' out fer ye," said her grandmother._

_Jack Frost was terribly worried after he managed to get the girl home. He waited outside her house on a tree, sitting on one of the thicker branches that could hold his light weight._

_"I really hope she's okay," he said to himself as he laid down on the branch._

_Eventually, he wanted to check up on her. He watched through the window as she was taken care of by her grandmother; his cold breath frosted the glass. Once her grandmother was gone, she opened the window and let him in._

_"Are you OK, snow angel?" he asked worried._

_"I'm OK, Jack," she said, sniffling._

_The girl saw how disturbed the winter spirit was. There was a lot on his mind too. The feeling of being in the water after ice breaking, the feeling he once felt before. But he couldn't figure out from where or when. Shaking his head, he figured it might have been nothing._

_"It wasn't your fault," she assured. "I wasn't scared. Besides, I know I'm always safe when you're around and the cold will never bother me as long as you're here."_

_To hear these words from the girl, it lifted his spirits. He laughed a little at the shivering girl, she was brave indeed. His hand touched hers; it was cold as his, but starting to warm up._

***

Colleen was dead. She was sure of it. She remembered a time she fell through thin ice one winter. How cold and dark the water was, how she looked up from the hole where she had fallen through...seeing the blue sky...a muffled voice yelling from the surface...

She heard a heavenly voice somewhere in the dark...it asked her if there was anything she wanted before leaving the earth.

She thought about it. Was there anything she regretted? The first thing that came to mind was an old friend, one she had forgotten...those ice blue eyes...the tousled silvery hair that reminded her of freshly fallen snow. The painful memory of what happened, the crippling regret. If she could see him one last time...

"To see Jack Frost again," she said. "I need to tell him..." Tears were forming in her eyes as the painful memory of what happened, the crippling regret. "That...I'm sorry."

After a beat, she felt something punch her in the chest very hard! She screamed.

"OW!" she yelled. "That hurts!"

Another punch in the chest followed...

***

Colleen's jacket and her shirt were ripped open, one of the soldiers compressed her breastbone, performing CPR. Another used a face mask to pump oxygen into her and another got the AED.They dried her off quickly before placing the leads on her chest, pressing buttons to charge it. Her heart had stopped completely. Once it was charged, a high-pitched whine and a light flashed, indicating it was ready. 

"CLEAR!" yelled one of the soldiers, pressing the charge button.

There was a loud pop and Colleen's body jerked...no response. 

"CLEAR!"

"C'mon, Sarge!" said one of the soldiers.

"Wake up, Colleen!" Jack Frost shouted, his azure eyes near-tears. 

Jack looked at Colleen, exposed and wet at the brink of death, racked with worry and near-grief. He looked up in the sky at the full moon, glaring angrily. He would speak to Manny sometimes, even before he became a Guardian. Often Manny would leave Jack frustrated because he didn't answer his questions. But to allow his best friend to die like this was unacceptable.

"Don't you dare!" he spat.

He tried to calm himself down, his body shaking and tears streamed down his cheeks, freezing. His heart began to ache. The moon continued to shine in the blue sky. 

"Please...save her. Bring her back," he pleaded, gripping his staff. 

Upon hearing nothing from Manny, Jack sat in silence, seeing his friend was now gone. He lowered his head.

Another charge and shock delivered..."CLEAR!"

Then, something amazing happened...

Colleen spat up water and coughed harshly. There were huge sighs of relief when she came back. The platoon watched as their sargeant regained consciousness. Colleen stared at blurred faces with half-lidded eyes, her vision was blurred. She saw something kneeling next to her...a blue sweater, white hair.

"Give her some air," said the instructor. Then looked down at Colleen. "Sarge? Sarge, can you hear me?"

"J...Jack..." she barely managed to whisper.

Everyone looked confused at what she said. But no matter, she was probably delirious from being revived. Colleen was turned on her side in a recovery position. She was freezing cold; not sure if it was from the water or from those few moments she died. An instructor took off his coat and put it on her to keep her warm until the medic arrived.

One of the soldiers took off his coat and put it on her to keep her warm until the med van arrived.

"Jack..." she said again weakly.

Then she passed out...

Jack saw she woke up. Only for a second or two, but at least she was alive. And she said his name? He looked at her, hopeful but suspicious. Was she dreaming, or did she actually see him? Either way, he made sure to follow the ambulance as it drove off with her.

***

Her eyes fluttered occasionally. Seeing flashes of white, hearing distorted sounds and seeing blurred faces. Who knew how much time had passed...or where she was.

Then, she began to dream. Strange. She hardly had any dreams. Good ones anyway. This time, it was different...

Sandy floated near the sleeping girl. He smiled, pleased for once that her dreams were slowly coming back. She was dreaming about a boy. And not just any boy. Sandy silently giggled as he beheld Colleen's dream.

Colleen looked around in the dark. She heard crunching beneath her feet, she shivered from the cold. She felt something soft and cold fall on her...she touched one, it felt wet as it melted. Snowflakes. There was a single lamp post that stood a few feet away, covered in snow. The light glowed yellow, splitting the night and made the flakes glitter like diamonds. Leaning against the post, there was a hooded figure holding a staff that looked like a shepherd's crook. Colleen squinted. Was it...him? As she got closer, she recognized him. Her long forgotten best friend in that blue sweater. The winter spirit. The snow fairy. The ice prince. Frostbite.

"Jack Frost?" she whispered.

The snow sprite turned his head towards Colleen, pulling his hood off and looked at Colleen. A smile broke out on his face. He was happy to see her.

"I've missed you, snow angel," he said, his hands shoved in the pockets of his blue sweater. "It's been so long."

Colleen wasn't sure if it was real or not. It was real enough to her. She shivered as she felt the cold. The snowflakes fell on them, which made her smile. Winter was always her favorite season.

"Are you really here?" Colleen asked.

"I've always have been, watching you like the Guardian I am" he said with a smile. "I never forgot about you."

Colleen smiled painfully, unable to look at her best friend as she recalled that terrible day. The day she could no longer see him. But to see him again brought joy. She felt like that little girl again who wanted to have fun all the time. All the snowball fights, ice skating, snow days...even at Easter! 

Jack Frost also looked sad. His blue eyes filled with hurt as he remembered that day as well. He had to know though since the last time they met was heartbreaking.

"Do you still believe in me, snow angel?" he asked.

"I..." Colleen said hesitant. 

She didn't know how to answer. How long had it been since she last saw her best friend? It seemed so long...growing up made time fly. There was only one way to be sure if he was there. She remembered what she said as a child. 

He doesn't nip the nose, he kisses it. If I can see it or touch it, then I believe it's real.

"If you are really here," Colleen said. "Then kiss my nose and I'll believe." 

He smiled as he recalled the first day they met how the saying went: Jack Frost nipping at your nose. But Colleen always said he kissed it. He leaned forward and touched his lips to her nose. It felt so cold! It was so real! It truly was! Strange, she could actually feel it...it felt too real...

***

Jack had been waiting patiently, hoping for his friend to wake up. He wasn't sure if she could see him or not, but he wanted to know the truth.

He was lost in his own thoughts, light snow began to fall in the hospital room. He looked at the young woman asleep...until she spoke his name, grabbing his attention. He turned to face her, watching the dreamsand. She was dreaming about him.

"Jack..." she spoke. "If you're really here, kiss my nose and I'll believe."

Smiling, he did so...frost formed, the flesh turned pink. He moved away, sitting on his knees. He stood still, watching as she stirred...her eyelashes fluttered as she awakened.

Colleen blinked her eyes as her dream began to dissipate. She shivered; the room was cold. Something fell on her face that was soft and cold. Was it...snowing? Her vision blurred, but she saw something sitting on her bed...a small pale hand reached towards her.

"C-Colleen..?" Jack asked hesitantly, reaching out a hand; his wide eyes boring into hers.

She found herself face-to-face with none other than...

**Author's Note:**

> OK. I have a broad idea of this topic BC I am a military wife so some stuff may not be accurate. Please bear with me.
> 
> SERE- survival, evasion, resistance, escape: a military training exercise that teaches soldiers on basic survival in environments, evading capture, survival and escape from enemy capture
> 
> Re


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